Task-based adaptation for ubiquitous computing

An important domain for autonomic systems is the area of ubiquitous computing: users are increasingly surrounded by technology that is heterogeneous, pervasive, and variable. In this paper we describe our work in developing self-adapting computing infrastructure that automates the configuration and reconfiguration of such environments. Focusing on the engineering issues of self-adaptation in the presence of heterogeneous platforms, legacy applications, mobile users, and resource variable environments, we describe a new approach based on the following key ideas: 1) explicit representation of user tasks allows us to determine what service qualities are required of a given configuration; 2) decoupling task and preference specification from the lower level mechanisms that carry out those preferences provides a clean engineering separation of concerns between what is needed and how it is carried out; and 3) efficient algorithms allow us to calculate in real time near-optimal resource allocations and reallocations for a given task.     

MobiSoC: a middleware for mobile social computing applications

Recently, we started to experience a shift from physical communities to virtual communities, which leads to missed social opportunities in our daily routine. For instance, we are not aware of neighbors with common interests or nearby events. Mobile social computing applications (MSCAs) promise to improve social connectivity in physical communities by leveraging information about people, social relationships, and places. This article presents MobiSoC, a middleware that enables MSCA development and provides a common platform for capturing, managing, and sharing the social state of physical communities. Additionally, it incorporates algorithms that discover previously unknown emergent geo-social patterns to augment this state. To demonstrate MobiSoC's feasibility, we implemented and tested on smart phones two MSCAs for location-based mobile social matching and place-based ad hoc social collaboration. Experimental results showed that MobiSoC can provide good response time for 1,000 users. We also demonstrated that an adaptive localization scheme and carefully chosen cryptographic methods can significantly reduce the resource consumption associated with the location engine and security on smart phones. A user study of the mobile social matching application proved that geo-social patterns can double the quality of social matches and that people are willing to share their location with MobiSoC in order to benefit from MSCAs.

Computational network federations: a middleware architecture for network-based computing

Computational Network Federations (CNFs) enable an arbitrary set of heterogeneous hosts which are connected via any type of network to form dynamic virtual distributed systems that cooperate to execute an application, or serve as generalized application service platforms to end users. CNFs motivate a view of the Internet as a vast unified host: a repository of information, application services, and an omnipresent supercomputing resource regardless of the type of access device or access methodology. CNFs provide a powerful way of virtualizing generalized enterprise networks (or even the Internet), and an economic and resilient model for deploying enterprise applications, (such as CRM) and peer-2-peer services (e.g., chatrooms). This paper describes a middleware architecture that enables network-based computing, communications, and services through a unified, access, and platform-independent approach. CNFs borrow from the capabilities of grid computing and aim toward intelligent computational service networks that are ubiquitous, secure, and adaptive to user and access-method idiosyncrasies. CNFs encompass a set of abstractions and interfaces that provide: 1) a unified service-oriented view of the network to the user; 2) a homogeneous host abstraction to applications; and 3) a shared-memory abstraction to software developers. This paper outlines the architecture of CNFs and describes in more detail i-DVM, a distributed multithreaded meta-OS that forms the core of a CNF and implements the virtual machine abstraction and location transparency.     

UbiXML: programmable management of ubiquitous computing resources

XML technologies provide proven benefits for the configuration management of complex heterogeneous multi‐vendor networks. These benefits have been recently manifested in numerous research, industrial and standardization efforts, including the XMLNET architecture. In this paper we present UbiXML, a system for programmable management of ubiquitous computing resources. UbiXML extends the benefits of XML technologies in the broader class of ubiquitous computing environments, which are inherently complex distributed heterogeneous and multi‐vendor. In UbiXML management applications are structured as XML documents that incorporate programming constructs. Thus, UbiXML allows administrators to build sophisticated management applications with little or no programming effort. While UbiXML builds on several XMLNET concepts, it significantly augments XMLNET to handle management of sensors, perceptual components and actuating devices. Moreover, UbiXML is extensible towards additional ubiquitous computing elements. UbiXML has been exploited in implementing realistic management applications for a smart space. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于身份的泛在通信隐私保护方案

针对泛在通信应用场景中数据传输的私密性要求,基于IBE公钥加密算法和Shamir门限秘密共享,提出了一种泛在通信隐私保护方案。方案以不同信任域身份标识为公钥,加密后的影子密钥可通过广播信道分发,满足门限条件的节点可以重构隐私会话密钥。方案具有随机预言模型下可证明的IND-sID-CPA安全性,支持安全的新成员加入策略,具有较小的计算复杂度和存储、通信开销。     

Multimodal and ubiquitous computing systems: supporting independent-living older users

We document the rationale and design of a multimodal interface to a pervasive/ubiquitous computing system that supports independent living by older people in their own homes. The Millennium Home system involves fitting a resident's home with sensors--these sensors can be used to trigger sequences of interaction with the resident to warn them about dangerous events, or to check if they need external help. We draw lessons from the design process and conclude the paper with implications for the design of multimodal interfaces to ubiquitous systems developed for the elderly and in healthcare, as well as for more general ubiquitous computing applications.     

MOM-S：基于Web服务的消息中间件系统

传统消息中间件多基于某些特定的平台或开发工具。这些中间件大多是紧密耦合的，并采用了大量互不兼容的传输协议，因此缺乏足够的扩展性和灵活性。针对这些问题，介绍了一种新型的面向服务架构的消息中间件——MOM-S的设计与实现。利用面向服务体系结构来组建消息中间件，MOM-S不仅增强了原有系统的灵活性，提供了服务扩展和重组支持等，还增强了消息传输的可靠性。更进一步，MOM-S提供了对消息多播、广播和路由转发的支持，还将扩展对传统消息中间件协议的支持。最后，通过与实验系统的性能对比和实际应用，证明了该系统的广阔前景。     

Mobile computing and ubiquitous networking: concepts, technologies and challenges

With the rapidly increasing penetration of laptop computers, which are primarily used by mobile users to access Internet services, support of Internet services in a mobile environment become an increasing need. The opportunities emerging from these technologies give rise to new paradigms such as mobile computing and ubiquitous networking. However, there are numerous challenges such as reliability and quality of service, infrastructure costs, energy efficiency of mobile devices, among others. This paper analyzes concepts, technologies and challenges related to these paradigms. The major challenges include mobility, disconnection and scale, new information medium and new resource limitations. As a fundamental characteristics of mobile environments, the user can see the same computing environment regardless of his or her current location. The most exciting promises of mobile computing and ubiquitous networking stay an entire new class of applications and potential new massive markets combining personal computing and consumer electronics.     

算网融合的泛在计算服务发展和演进趋势分析

在新基建背景下,算网融合ICT产业"云网边端"协同需求日益旺盛。分析计算服务演进趋势、对比计算服务行业技术架构、分析业界算力网络/分布式云/泛在计算服务化架构的特点,提出把泛在计算服务发展的新理念作为算网融合的一种演进思路,并介绍泛在计算服务涉及的关键技术。     

Trustworthy Web services provisioning for differentiated customer services

With the number of e-Business applications dramatically increasing, a service level agreement (SLA) will play an important part in Web services. The SLA is a combination of several quality of services (QoS), such as security, performance, and availability, agreed between a customer and a service provider. Most existing research addresses only one of these QoS metrics. Furthermore, in the case of the response time defined as one of QoS metrics for performance, only the average time to process and complete a job is typically used. Moreover, customer requests often need to be distinguished, with different request characteristics and customer’s different service requirements. In this paper, we consider a set of computer resources used by a service broker to host enterprise applications for two classes of differentiated customer services subject to a service level agreement. We study three QoS metrics, namely, trustworthiness, a percentile response time, and availability. The percentile response time metric defines a value below which the end-to-end response time has to be for a given percent of time. We present an approach for resource optimization in such an environment that minimizes the total cost of computer resources while satisfying all these three QoS metrics in a trust-based resource provisioning problem which typically arises in Web services. We formulate the trust-based resource provisioning problem as an optimization problem under SLA constraints, and then solve it using an efficient numerical procedure.     

Inhibitors for ubiquitous deployment of services in the next-generation network

The next-generation network is characterized by the merging of the Internet, telecommunications, and information technology. As envisioned some six years ago, the NGN was to revolutionize the lives of its users by providing them the best of the services of the PSTN and the Internet, written rapidly by IT programmers. Service providers were to be similarly affected by the increase in revenues paid by the users of these new services. Equipment vendors would have a difficult time keeping inventories of the NGN infrastructure. The truth has been somewhat different. In this article we characterize a set of inhibitors - technical, regulatory, and business-related - that are affecting the ubiquitous deployment of NGN services.     

Data fusion in ubiquitous networked robot systems for urban services

There is a clear trend in the use of robots to accomplish services that can help humans. In this paper, robots acting in urban environments are considered for the task of person guiding. Nowadays, it is common to have ubiquitous sensors integrated within the buildings, such as camera networks, and wireless communications like 3G or WiFi. Such infrastructure can be directly used by robotic platforms. The paper shows how combining the information from the robots and the sensors allows tracking failures to be overcome, by being more robust under occlusion, clutter, and lighting changes. The paper describes the algorithms for tracking with a set of fixed surveillance cameras and the algorithms for position tracking using the signal strength received by a wireless sensor network (WSN). Moreover, an algorithm to obtain estimations on the positions of people from cameras on board robots is described. The estimate from all these sources are then combined using a decentralized data fusion algorithm to provide an increase in performance. This scheme is scalable and can handle communication latencies and failures. We present results of the system operating in real time on a large outdoor environment, including 22 nonoverlapping cameras, WSN, and several robots.     

Trust management framework for intelligent agent negotiations in ubiquitous computing environments

In dynamic ubiquitous computing environments, system entities may be classified into two main categories that are, in principle, in conflict. These are the Service Resource Requestors (SRRs) wishing to use services and/or exploit resources offered by the other system entities and the Service Resource Providers (SRPs) that offer the services/resources requested. Seeking for the maximisation of their welfare, while achieving their own goals and aims, entities may misbehave (intentionally or unintentionally), thus, leading to a significant deterioration of system’s performance. In this study, a reputation mechanism is proposed which helps estimating SRPs trustworthiness and predicting their future behaviour, taking into account their past performance in consistently satisfying SRRs’ expectations. Thereafter, under the assumption that a number of SRPs may handle the SRRs requests, the SRRs may decide on the most appropriate SRP for the service/resource requested on the basis of a weighted combination of the evaluation of the quality of their offer (performance related factor) and of their reputation rating (reliability related factor). The proposed trust management framework is distributed, considers both first-hand information (acquired from the SRR’s direct past experiences with the SRPs) and second-hand information (disseminated from other SRRs’ past experiences with the SRPs), while it exhibits a robust behaviour against inaccurate reputation ratings. The designed mechanisms have been empirically evaluated simulating interactions among self-interested agents, exhibiting improved performance with respect to random SRP selection.     

Single-electron random-number generator (RNG) for highly secure ubiquitous computing applications

Since the security of all modern cryptographic techniques relies on unpredictable and irreproducible digital keys generated by random-number generators (RNGs), the realization of high-quality RNG is essential for secure communications. In this report, a new RNG, which utilizes single-electron phenomena, is proposed. A room-temperature operating silicon single-electron transistor (SET) having nearby an electron pocket is used as a high-quality, ultra-small RNG. In the proposed RNG, stochastic single-electron capture/emission processes to/from the electron pocket are detected with high sensitivity by the SET, and result in giant random telegraphic signals (GRTS) on the SET current. It is experimentally demonstrated that the single-electron RNG generates extremely high-quality random digital sequences at room temperature, in spite of its simple configuration. Because of its small-size and low-power properties, the single-electron RNG is promising as a key nanoelectronic device for future ubiquitous computing systems with highly secure mobile communication capabilities.     

Global newsletter - highlights from NOMS 2008: pervasive management for ubiquitous networks and services

The IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium (NOMS 2008), the premier conference in the field of network and services management, was held 7-11 April 2008 in the exciting and lively city of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. This was the 20th anniversary of this highly successful and well-known international conference, and we believe that NOMS 2008 followed the traditional long-standing strong track record of excellence.     

Towards an event-aware approach for ubiquitous computing based on automatic service composition and selection

Service composition in ubiquitous and pervasive environments is becoming an active research domain which has received widespread attention in recent years. It aims to offer seamless access to a variety of high level and complex functionalities by combining existing services. Several frameworks have been designed to support service composition in ubiquitous and pervasive environments. Although some ubiquitous requirements and challenges are relatively well addressed by the proposed frameworks, others are still at a preliminary stage and should be well explored such as, automatic service composition with little human intervention, context and quality of service management, and service selection under uncertainty and changes. For this end, we propose in this paper a layered design approach for flexible and failure tolerant service composition using two main phases: off-line phase and on-line phase. In the off-line phase, a global graph that links all the available abstract services is generated automatically using rule-based technique. The defined rules aim at optimizing both the number of services and parameters that appear in the global graph. In the on-line phase, a subgraph is extracted spontaneously from the global graph according to the occurred and detected event in the environment at real time. Thereafter, the extracted subgraph is performed using service selection strategies. A prototype implementation including real services for event detection in smart home shows clearly the feasibility of the proposed approach in real environment. Also, the set of performed evaluation tests reveals the interest and the performance of the proposed algorithms.     

A novel encoding scheme and data delivery in ubiquitous computing systems

Accessing information through wireless devices is becoming more and more popular. When the size of the accessed information is large, a great amount of access latency is incurred while a mobile user (MU) migrates across cells. This paper investigates this problem and proposes an effective way of delivering such data to the MU in ubiquitous computing systems. A cell-encoding scheme is proposed for the support of this efficient data delivery. The method is carefully evaluated on its feasibility and efficiency. Chao-Chun Chen received his Ph.D. degree in the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at the National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, in 2004. Currently, he is an assistant professor of the Department of Information Management, Shih-Chien University Kaohsung Campus, Taiwan. His research interests include mobile/wireless data management, sensor networks, spatio-temporal databases, and web information retrieval. Chiang Lee received the B.S. degree from the National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, in 1980 and the M.E. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, in 1986 and 1989, respectively. He joined IBM Mid-Hudson Laboratories, Kingston, NY in 1989 and participated in a project working on the design and performance analysis of a parallel and distributed database system. He joined the faculty of National Cheng-Kung University in 1990 and is currently a professor of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering of the university. His research interests are in the areas of mobile computing, sensor networks, and database systems. He has many papers published in major database journals and conferences, and has been invited as an author of a chapter for several technical books. Dr. Lee also served as a Steering Committee member of the DASFAA International Conference from 1996 to 1998, and served on organizing and program committee for several major international conferences. Lien-Fa Lin received his M.E. degree in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Yuan Ze University, Taiwan, in 1993. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at the National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan. His research interests include mobile/wireless data management, spatio-temporal databases, and web information retrieval.